Can you pour water slowly in your carburetor to clean your fuel system out?

Question

68 buick 430cu. 4bbl. carburetor.

Answer 1

You can but your gonna be sol if you s***w something up. Use Carburetor cleaner on a halfway warm engine. Less is better on these old girls.  

Answer 2

Here's the deal, junior. Some old-time mechanics will pour water into the carburetor with the engine running, but it isn't to clean out the fuel system. It is to get rid of the carbon buildup on the valves and in the combustion chambers. You have to keep the RPM up when you do this, because water will cause the engine to run very rough or even stall. The reason this is done is because carbon buildup on the valves and in the combustion chambers can cause a car to ping or knock (detonate), which can cause the car to lose power and even cause damage to the pistons. The reason it works is because the cool water and water vapor hits the blazing-hot carbon deposits and causes them to break loose the same way ice cubes crack when they hit hot water, and leave through the exhaust system. If you want to clean the actual fuel system, you need to use some kind of fuel additive cleaner that runs through the fuel lines, and perhaps a spray carburetor cleaner.  

Answer 3

Yes you can,

but

BE VERY CAREFUL

I have done this before but all you are really doing is cleaning the carbon build up off of the top of the pistons.

DO NOT use more than 1 tablespoon full and DO NOT just dump it in. Poor it in very slowly.

Water does not compress and therefore can and WILL DO DAMAGE (that is why in limited amounts it will knock the carbon off of the pistons)

I would recommend an over the counter fuel additive. Berrymans B12 and Sea-foam are good but I would recommend Lucas Oil gas treatment. It will not only clean the fuel system but lubricate it as well. (I use it once a month).

Answer 4

You can, but it will do a lot more damage than good. By some carburetor cleaner and spray it in the carb. I like Berymans B-12 fuel additive or Sea Foam. You dump them in your tank and drive.